If you find yourself thumbing through the old Hot 100 charts, one thing you’ll notice when you come to 1972 is that some all-time greats were doing their all-time best work back then. If you come across a list of iconic classic rock artists from the decade, the three names below will assuredly be on that list. And in 1972, they were cranking out No. 1 tunes that might be unmatched in their careers.
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Below, we wanted to highlight those three artists and their songs that rocketed up the charts to take the top spot. Indeed, these are three legendary classic rock singers who hit No. 1 in 1972.
Neil Young
As well-known and synonymous as Neil Young is with rock music, the man boasts only one No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. That just shows there’s no accounting for taste! That aside, however, Young achieved the feat in mid-March of 1972 thanks to his track, “Heart of Gold”. Today, Young boasts a total of 11 songs on the Hot 100 chart, including “Old Man” and “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”, but it’s the falsetto “Heart of Gold” that peaked at the top spot.
Bill Withers
If you were to put together a list of the 50 best songs human beings have written, the only person to get more than one on there might be Bill Withers. His songs seem plucked from eternity. And “Lean on Me” is at the top of that list. The song of friendship and shared dignity is a staple for the American music canon, and it also just boasts that forever quality. From the timbre of Withers’ voice to the soul in his lyricism, the man deserved the No. 1 spot in 1972, which he enjoyed for three straight weeks.
Chuck Berry
In late October of 1972, rocker Chuck Berry hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his jokey song “My Ding-a-Ling”. The juvenile, kiddish track is also incredibly catchy and rather deft. Amazingly, it took the culture by storm and rocketed up the chart to stay at the top spot for two weeks. For the man who wrote “Run Rudolph Run”, “Never Can Tell”, and “Johnny B. Goode”, the silly offering was also his sole No. 1 release. Like he once sang: “Goes to show you never can tell!“
Photo by Reprise Records/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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